Bullis brings a decorated resume to Conibear Shellhouse, including two previous tours of duty with the Huskies rowing program. The Seattle native and Oregon State graduate will recruit and coach the Huskies' novice oarswomen, acclimating them for the rigors of the varsity program.

"I am excited for the opportunity to be a part of the University of Washington and the women's rowing team," Bullis said. "I look forward to the season starting in September."

Ernst conducted a nationwide search for a candidate but ultimately chose Bullis for his energy and commitment to excellence, along with his attention to detail.

"He's proven over his career as a coach and as an administrator that he's a forward-thinker and a great organizer," Ernst said.

Bullis takes over a novice program that has long been successful at Washington. During the past three seasons, the Husky novice rowers have won a pair of Pac-10 titles, in addition to cup wins at the San Diego Crew Classic and the Cal Dual.

"He's proven over his career as a coach and as an administrator that he's a forward-thinker and a great organizer." - Bob Ernst

What also fascinated Ernst was the wealth of experience Bullis boasts in three important rowing classifications - high school, collegiate and club. His track record of developing rowers resonated with the 38-year head coach.

Most recently, Bullis was the head coach at Lakeside, a private K-12 school located in Seattle. He was also an instrumental coaching figure in the club rowing community in the Puget Sound region. This summer, Bullis coached an eight with Seattle Area Rowing that qualified for the prestigious CanAmMex regatta, which begins Aug. 8 in Welland, Ontario. This fits in well with the Washington rowing ethos, which strives to help student-athletes row internationally.

Bullis' coaching history includes a wealth of experience in the collegiate ranks as well. The Garfield High School product first began coaching as an intern at his alma mater Oregon State, where he was the team captain. He then served two separate internships with the Husky men's program, working with freshmen coach Luke McGee and head coach Michael Callahan, who quickly voiced his approval of the hire. In 2009, Bullis was part of the Husky coaching staff that steered the program to a National Championship. The past two summers, Bullis has also coached rowers at the USRowing pair development camp, which is held at Washington.

"Conor will be a strong asset to our coaching staff and to our students," Callahan said over email. "He has an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong desire to achieve at the highest level. His personality and work ethic is contagious."

Bullis takes over for Nicole Minett, who resigned during the 2011 season in order to concentrate on her growing family.